Butterfly
by sebaschan
Summary: Angela, Ash, the Queen… none of it mattered anymore, they were nothing. But Ciel was everything. Ciel was the flourishing blue flower in the heat wave of a dying country. He was the romantic in an empty library… Ciel had only just begun.


Ciel Phantomhive sighed, slowly opening his mismatched eyes to finally glance around the new atmosphere he found himself placed in. The usual sight of his cream, bedroom ceiling was long gone, and replaced by muggy, white smog. The bed he normally laid on was instead, a cold, hard surface that chilled the back of his bare knees. His eyes closed again as he sighed, arms spread out around him to give him the appearance of lying on a crucifix, waiting for a judgment and savior. The squeezing around his lungs had disappeared, but he no longer felt the need to breathe, or struggle with death… he was almost embracing it.

It wasn't until a quiet flutter filled Ceils ears, and a brisk, tingling sensation occurred on the top of his frail, cold hand, did he open his eyes. He looked at the fragile creature for a moment, adoring its blue and blue colorings as its wings flowed back and forth slowly. A faded, odd smile found itself playing on his lips as he raised his hand, bringing it closer for a better look, as it perched on the backs of his fingers calmly.

His eyes followed along the tracing of black that established sections of the wing as he brought up his other hand. Despite past warnings from his father not to touch a butterfly's wings, he drew his fingertips along the lines, clinching the warmth and softness of the creature. His pale skin adorned along the vibrant blue, as he repeatedly stroked the butterfly's appendage.

The butterfly slowly moved its wings against Ciel's touch, accepting how the sensations along its wings crashed down over its delicate body. It knew the boy was as gentle as he could be, but it wasn't enough. It held onto all its strength as Ciel adored it, trying to keep itself from flinging away from his admiration… It cursed its small body, wishing it could to do more to make them both comfortable… but such aspirations for a light-bodied animal were impossible to achieve in this form.

"Sebastian..." Ciel whispered, stilling his fingers on the eye of the butterfly's wing. "Is this the end?"

He turned his hand over, palms facing up into the white, musky fog. He watched as the butterfly moved with his hand, crawling up onto the creased surface of the preteen's hand. It pressed its wings together and stilled, looking as pensive as a creature of its size could.

"Is this how it all ends?" He questioned again, stretching his arm up towards the endless dimensions of the upper atmosphere.

"Of course not, Bochan," Sebastian's deep, calming voice filled the spaces surrounded Ciel's form, causing the boys unnecessary breathing jolt, and catch in his ribs. "This is only the beginning…"

As suddenly as it had appeared, the butterfly began its ascent back into the highest points of the ambit that Ciel currently resided in. The boy watched its blue wings quiver, as if it was struggling to return to whence it came. He doubted it was physically struggling… but it was fighting to win at the battle of tearing itself from the boy, as the visit was short lived, yet important to both of them.

Both of his hands followed the butterfly, his second arm joining his first, as he stretched out to the above, arching his back slightly in desperation. His body and mind craved the hand in hand pleasures of attention and warmth from his parents, his butler… the people he would perhaps meet in the fulfilling afterlife. He had no regrets, nor hatred… He had accomplished what he had intended, and accomplished them with pride.

"Will you take me away now, Sebastian?" His head rolled to the side, arms dropping down to their place at his body. He watched, hoping his request had found its way to Sebastian through the thick hanging air.

Relief flooded the boy's expression as a smeared, black shape made its way through the fog, walking towards him slowly. He turned himself on his side, using his hands to push himself onto his knees, and rolled his head back. Ciel took a moment to regain himself, before pushing up to stand, and watch his faithful butler approach him.

The butler's footsteps stopped as he stood himself in front of Ciel, blazer clad arms finding themselves around his master's childlike shoulders in a warming embrace. He welcomed Ciel forward, holding him close to himself in comfort and reassurance, knowing that waking in the in between was never a pleasant experience, and could crack the strongest of men… but Ciel was brave… so accepting. It almost broke Sebastian's heart. Never had he expected a twelve year old to accept death so willingly.

His arms tightened around the young earl as he felt him fading, but he knew there was no going back for either for them… this was the of an end era for the pair. Angela, Ash, the Queen… none of it mattered anymore, they were nothing. But Ciel was everything. Ciel was the flourishing blue flower in the heat wave of a dying country. He was the romantic in an empty library…Ciel had only just begun. Sebastian's eyes closed, cheek resting on the top of his masters mucked head of hair as he struggled to accept the disappearance of his master, his friend, his ally.

As his eyes finally opened, he found himself left alone in the abyss, the Faustian mark on his hand faded back to a scar as the final pieces of Ciel's memoirs faded away like a dying flame. He uncurled his arms from where Ciel had once been, and looked into the palm of his right hand. A saddened smile appeared on his lips as he examined the Phantomhive ring that his master had left behind. He raised it to his lips, and kissed the sparkling jewel of it.

"I know, Ciel…" He murmured against it, closing his eyes once more. The gleam of the blue, family heirloom faded as Sebastian drew his lips away, not once opening his eyes in the process. His breath floated across it as he let out an uneasy sigh. "I know."

And as quick as the butterfly, Ciel had vanished.


End file.
